Posted: Sep 15, 2023

Cross Country Takes The Win AT GRCC Raider Invite

OVERVIEW – GRCC RAIDER INVITATIONAL

LOCATION: Douglas Walker Park – Grand Rapids, Mich.

RECAP: Northwood men's and women's cross country continued their 2023 season with races at the Grand Rapids Community College Invitational on Friday (September 15). The Timberwolves collectively won both races as the men finished with 17 points and the women, 36.

INSIDE THE WOMEN'S RACE (5,000 METERS)

Northwood took home the win with 36 points. The race included 111 athletes from 13 teams around Michigan. Aquinas took second with 61 points while Lawerence Tech took third with 97.
Sarah Zehr led the Timberwolves for the second straight week, setting another personal record in the process. The junior broke the 19-minute barrier for the first time in her career, cutting off another 17 seconds off her PR. Zehr placed third overall in 18:54.3.
The Timberwolves had three racers finish top-10, including Taylor Hopkins (19:22.5) and Ariel Warner (19:48.9) in sixth and 10th respectively. NU also had four racers break the 20-minute barrier.
Eighth of NU's 11 runners set new PRs during the race.

NORTHWOOD RESULTS:

Zehr – Third: 18:54.3 PR – Fifth in NU history
Hopkins – Sixth: 19:22.5 PR – 12th in NU History
Warner – 10th: 19:48.9 PR – t-20th in NU History
Rachael Sierakowski – 24th: 19:56.2
Molly Dickinson – 16th: 20:12.7 PR
Kaylee Locke – 17th: 20:13.0 PR
Katherine Haupt – 18th: 20:14.2 PR
Riley Hacker – 22nd: 20:30.9 PR
Kaylee Aultman – 31st: 21:30.5 PR
Alyssa Dorn – 41st: 21:55.4
Hattie Veenkant – 61st: 23:16.7

INSIDE THE MEN'S RACE (8,000 METERS)

Northwood dominated its second race of the season, this in the 8K. The Timberwolves won the meet with 17 points, taking four of the top five finishers.
Brandon Boyd won individually for the second straight race, finishing in 24:56.0. Boyd was just one second off his PR.
The Timberwolves had six athletes set new PRs while 10 finished with the top 25 racers.
GRCC had 16 teams competing in the event, including 158 runners. The second place team, Lansing Community College, finished 55 points behind NU. Aquinas took third with 91 points.
Josh Jones (25:06.5), Preston Earl (25:14.0), and Joseph Shaya (25:18.3) rounded out the top four individual spots during the race. Jones and Shaya set new PRs as Jones moved into eighth and Shaya into 11th all-time in NU's top-25 8000m performers list.

NORTHWOOD RESULTS: